Ravichandran Ashwin congratulates AB de Villiers on great career, says wonderful watching you bat

South African
cricketer AB de Villiers announced his retirement from all forms of cricket on
Friday. The player was congratulated for a great career by Indian off-spinner
Ravichandran Ashwin on Saturday. AB de Villiers shut the curtain on any future
appearances in T20 leagues across the world.

Had my time: de Villiers announces retirement from all forms of cricket

The attacking batter
who is often credited for taking T20 cricket to new heights. He had announced
his retirement from international cricket back in May 2018, since then he had
been travelling the world by playing in the domestic leagues of numerous
countries.

Ravichandran Ashwin posted
the congratulatory message on his official Twitter account. The star
off-spinner wrote “Congratulations on a great career @ABdeVilliers17 ??. It was wonderful watching you bat all these years and good luck with
what lies ahead.”

The 37-year-old ended
his career with staggering numbers. ABD scored 9,424 runs in T20s with a strike
rate of 150.13 in 320 innings. He left the
pitch not out on 67 occasions, scored 4 centuries and 69 fifties with a high
score of 133 not out. On top of that he took 230 catches and registered 18
stumpings.

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Graeme Smith, Cricket South Africa’s
Director of Cricket, declared the Proteas batter to be in a class of his own.

In an official press release by Cricket South
Africa, Graeme Smith said, “It’s safe to say that AB is in a class of his
own,” 

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The Director of Cricket for CSA added, “I was fortunate
enough to not only play with him, but to captain him as well. Always a team
man, AB was never afraid to step up to the plate in whatever capacity his team
needed him in. He has batted, bowled and kept wicket for South Africa with the
same passion and drive he puts into every task requested of him — we won’t
even mention the outstanding fielder that he was on top of it all,”